San Marino GP, 1981

The first European race of the 1981 season was at Imola but as Monza had regained the Italian GP the race had to have a different name and so it became the San Marino GP, named after the tiny independent state of that name, located 50 miles from the race track. Team Lotus had decided to miss the race but in England a new Lotus 87 was being tested to replace the banned twin-chassisLotus 88. The controversy over hydro-pneumatic suspensions had also faded as all the cars now had systems fitted.

The big excitement in the paddock was the appearance of the new Toleman F1 team, complete with a Brian Hart turbo engine and Pirelli tires. Neither Brian Henton nor Derek Warwick qualified. Otherwise the entry was little changed although Tyrrell had replaced Ricardo Zunino with a rising star called Michele Alboreto who brought much-needed backing for the team from a local ceramics company.

The track was wet at the start and everyone was on wet tires. Villeneuve went into the lead while Pironi was able to use the prodigious power of the Ferrari to blast his way up to second position. At the back of the field there was a nasty accident when F1 debutante Miguel Angel Guerra had a moment in Tosa corner and was then hit by Eliseo Salazar's March. This punted the Osella into the barrier at high speed and the Argentine driver had to be cut from the wreck with serious leg injuries.

While Guerra was being released from his car the two Ferraris ran away from the rest of the field with Reutemann third, having driven into his team mate Jones to stop the Australian taking third on the first lap. This had damaged Jones's front wing and he was soon in the pits for repairs. That put Patrese up to fourth place and he overtook Reutemann a few laps later the Argentine went off over the grass at the final chicane. Piquet and his Brabham team mate Hector Rebaque completed the top six after Laffite and Arnoux had collided.

On lap 14 Villeneuve went into the pits for slicks. As he accelerated away it started to rain again and so two laps later Villeneuve was back in pitlane for wet tires. Pironi led with Patrese second while Piquet moved to third ahead of Reutemann. The Brazilian later got ahead of Patrese as well. The top five remained unchanged until the 47th lap when Piquet finally overtook Pironi, the Ferrari having damaged a skirt early on. Pironi drifted back behind Patrese, Reutemann and Rebaque but he finished fifth, just ahead of Andrea de Cesaris's McLaren.